Karunanidhi pitches for Pranab as next President

Chennai, May 5 (ANI): Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) chief M. Karunanidhi on Saturday pitched for Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee as the next president.

"If he is the candidate of the UPA coalition, the DMK will not hesitate to back his candidature," Karunanidhi told media here.

Majority of people are supporting him that means DMK will also support him," Karunanidhi told mediapersons in Chennai city.

There have been certain rumours that the Congress has been trying to reach out to ally partners to have a consensus on Vice President Hamid Ansari or Pranab Mukherjee for the prestigious post.

According to certain media reports, Mukherjee appears to be emerging as a front-runner in the race for the president's post within his party and outside with allies and some others backing him.

Current incumbent Pratibha Devisingh Patil's term ends on July 25 this year. She was sworn-in as the 12th president of India on July 25, 2007.

The president is the constitutional head of the country and also the supreme commander of the armed forces. (ANI)